Markus Hippmann
© Markus Hippmann
FREUDE DURCH TANZ / JOY THROUGH DANCE
There is a comforting aspect to the images included in this exhibition. This comfort may emerge from a cultural familiarity with the style and approach to their construction and display. It is clear that the framing and angle used to structure the images has historical roots in portraiture and propaganda images (paintings, photographs and posters). These images are grounded in social and political conditions. In the mid-20th century this style of representation is found in the ideological constructs of young workers found in Russia, Germany, and America (to name a few) presenting iconic images promising a better and fruitful future, political personalities, and theatrical promotions.
The images acquire their meaning through an historical and contemporary context. As texts, they are directed towards a particular audience attempting to elicit a desired behavior. Thus, the images of youthful workers within a political context, or the strong youthful champion within an entertainment and economic frame, are encoded with characteristics that may be drawn from the world of Greek Gods and warriors. From a very young age we have learned how to encode and decode these images within our various historical cultural frameworks. We intrinsically know what they mean. (Images left and right from Wiki Commons)
Markus Hippmann’s “Freude Durch Tanz” (Joy Through Dance) exhibition draws from this understanding of the iconic image to make his statement on what he has suggested is the marginalization and a lack of understanding of Down syndrome. His images are of a Down syndrome dance company based in Vienna Austria (Hippmann has donated his time and skill in making promotional images for the dance company) striving to display the dancers in a strong, energetic and positive manner. These kids are having fun, just like other kids of their age.
However, I believe the images are more than mere depictions of dancing kids. They may begin to challenge assumptions about people who sit at the margins of our societies. These are "feel good" images– strong, iconic, youthful and full of energy. For me, the images flip between the iconic and the social. On one hand, we see the clichéd propaganda image and its potential for cognitive manipulation, while on the other hand, we see the non-stereotypical presentation of teens that may counter our emotional relationship to children who are not considered mainstream, or (by definition) "normal." I am not suggesting that we consider the “happy native” image where everything appears to be well and the people are happy, even if their lives are a struggle to stay alive and just exist. This approach partially relieves social guilt, demanding no action. (image © Markus Hippmann)
Hippmann’s images do not ask much of the viewer except to enjoy and participate in the joy and happiness of their lives and to possibly see them in a different light.
© Roberto Muffoletto, 2016